Five Homeschooling Favorites

Just a quick Five Favorites post today because 1) I’m late and 2) I’ve got too much to do today!
I’ve got homeschooling on the brain these days, what with school starting (UGH!) on Monday, so today I’ll share five favorite things about homeschooling. Not necessarily THE favorites, but the ones that rise to mind at this time of year when I am only having to get one kid ready for school instead of two.1. No uniforms.
Don’t misunderstand–I’m all for uniforms. But normally this time of year would involve trips to Educational Outfitters to check sizes, and then a trip to the school Swap Shop to check what used things are available (and also trying them all on because sizes vary), and then a trip BACK to the uniform store to supplement the cheap stuff, and then possibly the agony of finding someone to hem things. And of course I didn’t mention lots and lots of money. This year, the only uniform rule will be no pajamas.2. Pajamas
Didn’t I just say no pajamas? Well, that rule is for Lorelei, not for me. This year John will be taking William to school (which used to be my job while he took Lorelei). So I don’t have to go out of the house and I plan to take full advantage of that by continuing my lazy summer habit of working in my pajamas until noon. Or even later.3. I pick the school supplies.
I am not subject to the tyranny of the supply list, with its strange requirement for green pens which I can never find and its endless demands for things like scissors which ought to stay at school and be reused from year to year. I won’t have to brave the madding crowds at Wal-Mart! Lorelei’s supply list this year included pencils, markers, paper, and folders. And I ordered it (along with William’s) online so that 1) I wouldn’t have to go to Wal-Mart and 2) so I could use my PayPal balance!4. No meetings.
I am a firm believer that even when meetings at school are stupid or boring or when you’ve heard it all a thousand times before (and if you have five kids, that goes without saying) it’s important to attend them. So we go to them all, and the novelty wore off long ago. I won’t miss them this year.5. No homework or projects.
Believe me, having to supervise William’s homework is cross enough to bear. Not having to deal with Lorelei’s stressed out meltdowns is going to be sooooo nice. And the projects? Last year for All Saints we had to make a saint out of a two-liter Coke bottle. The year before that we had to dress up a pumpkin. I kid you not. This year, maybe I’ll have her write a paragraph about her favorite saint. If I feel like it. Last year, book reports involved things like dioramas. This year, they will involve writing a report. Maybe drawing a picture too.
Umm . . . there are other reasons for homeschooling, of course. Reasons that benefit Lorelei and not just me. 🙂 But y’all knew that already, right?
For more favorites, visit the linkup at Mama Knows, Honeychild.

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